Traffic officer&#39;s garment



Sept. 20, 1938. v c. A. WHEELER 2,130,439

I I TRAFFIC OFFICERS GARMENT Filed Dec. 30, 195'? 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 20, 1938. c. A. WHEELER TRAFFIC OFFICERS GARMENT Filed Dec.- so. 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 20, 1938 UNITED )STATES rnamc omonn's GARMENT Charles A. Wheeler, Bridgeport, Conn., assignor to City of Bridgeport, a municipal corporation of Connecticut Application December '30, 1937, Serial No. 182,420

7 Claims.

This invention relates to accouterments for trafiic ofilcers, and more particularly,'to a garment to be worn by an ofllcer.

Direction of trafflc at night, especially at some 6 intersections, has become a hazardous assignment for a trafiic oflicer. It is usually necessary for the ofiicer to stand at the center of-the intersection between two adjacent lanes of trafllc where he is liable to be struck by vehicles, even 10 though the latter may be travelling slowly, be-

cause his presence is not observed by the driver. Many serious accidents have occurred in this manner. The usual clothing worn by policemen, being of dark color material so that he may approach a scene of crime or disorder unobserved adds to the hazard when the oflicer is called upon to direct tramc. The danger of the officer being struck is increased by the useof bright headlights on automobiles which partially blind the vision of the driver of a car approaching in an opposite direction, or render the drivers vision so impaired that the presence of the oflicer in a dark uniform is not observed.

The danger is a hazard not only to the omcer but it tends to make most drivers nervous, because conscientlousdrivers have more fear of striking an unseen officer than the latter has of being struck. The object of the present invention is to make, in a simple and efllcient way, the traflic ofllcer conspicuous in the dark while he is directing tramc, and thus reduces the danger of his being struck by a car, and reduces the-mental 35 hazard on the part of the drivers of vehicles.

' Accordingly, the present invention provides a very simple yet efiicient garment, made'of light color material, to be Worn by a policeman while on traflic duty.

The garment of the present invention is relatively inexpensive and is easily laundered, and

is so constructed that it may be easily andquickly slipped on over the ofiicers uniform, and may be made of one size for both stout and thin men.

The garment of this invention, in the form at present preferred, comprises front and back panels, connected together preferably at the shoulder, and having their longitudinal margins adjacent but not permanently connected to each other at the side of the wearer. The front and back panels have between them a relatively large hole so that the garment may be slipped over the ofilcers head to be supported on his shoul- 55 ders. The adjacent longitudinal margins of the front and back portions may be drawn as close together as desired by suitable straps and buckles so that the panels will not fly in the wind and will lie flat against the body of the wearer.

An important feature of the present inven- 5 -tion is the provision of epaulets on the shoulder portions of the garment which are pendant from the shoulders and hang down fiat along the upper outer portions of the wearer's arms so as to present substantially large surfaces visible when the officer is facing at right angles to the line of vision -of the driver of an oncoming car.

Another important feature of the present invention is the provision of light-reflecting lenses or units placed in groups on the front panel, the back panel, and on the epaulets, and these reflecting units are preferably of the cataphotic type so that the light rays from a vehicle will impinge upon the units and be reflected back in line with the drivers vision. Preferably; the groups of light-reflecting units on the front and back panels have different characteristics from those on the epaulets, so that the driver may easily determine whether the ofllcer is facing in the direction of travel of the car, or is facing at right angles thereto. Also, it is preferred that the groups of light-reflecting units be mounted on a separate piece, as, for instance, a piece of white leather which itself is detachably mounted on the garment so that the groups of reflecting units may be removed from the garment when the same is being laundered;

I One of the important features of the present invention is the absence of arms or armholes in the garment, the presence of which would restrict the free movements of the ofiicers arms and make it difficult to slip on and remove the garment, and make it impractical to supply a one-size garment for persons of different sizes and weights.

The garment may be full length or three-quarter length, but I have found it preferable to have has long as an ordinary sack coat for an average size person, for the sharp contrast between the dark trousers and the light garment of the present invention aids substantially in increasing the noticeability of the oflicer.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings which show one form of the invention, that at present preferred- Figure 1 is a front view of the garment as it appears in use, portions of the wearer being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the garment from the side.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the garment as it appears lying on a fiat surface.

Fig. 4 is an elevation of one of the reflector buttons, partly in section, showing the means for detachably securing the button to its supporting material.

Fig. 5 is a view of the back of the button with its mounting means.

As shown in the accompanying drawings, the garment of the present invention, comprises a front panel l and a back panel These, as shown in Fig. 3, are preferably made of straight pieces of material. The front and 'back panels In and II respectively are connected together end to end, and the adjoining ends are so cut that when the panels are connected, as by a seam l2, a formed shoulder portion I 3 is produced. Between the adjoining ends of the panels l0 and N there is formed a hole ll of such size that the head and neck of the wearer may be slipped freely through it when applying 'the garment, and, when the garment is so applied, the portions l3 will rest on the wearer's shoulders I while the panel ID will hang down over the chest and abdomen of the wearer and the panel II will hang down the back.

The longitudinal margins I of the panels l0 and I are free of permanent attachment to each other, and these margins, as well as the bottom margins Hi and the margin I! of the head hole M, are suitablyhemmed or bound.

After the garment is slipped over the head of the officer and rests on his shoulders, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the open sides of the garment may be temporarily held together by suitable fastening means. In the form of the invention herein illustrated, the panel II has secured to it near its lower end straps or tapes I8 and the panel ID has secured to it near its lower end straps or tapes IS, the latter carrying buckles 20 to receive and secure the straps II. In the broader aspects of the invention, however, any suitable means may be employed to keep the panels Ill and II relatively close to the body of the wearer and keep them from flying in the wind. Preferably, however, whatever means are employed should permit the adjacent margins l5 of the front and back panels to be drawn closer to or left farther from each other, depending upon whether the wearer is thin or stout, for it is one of the features of this invention, as stated above, that one single garment may be used by officers of both large and small girths.

By having the sides of the garment open, there is no occasion for providing armholes, the presence of which would make it difficult for an oflicer, especially when wearing an overcoat, to apply the garment over a uniform.

The panels I0 and II may have any desired length, but it is preferable that they be equivalent'in lengthto the length of a sack coat for a person of ordinary size. When made of such length, the panels are easily kept close to the body of the wearer. If the panels were made substantially long, this would be diiIicult, and there would be the danger of the panels being caught onto projections of a passing car.

The panels may be made of any suitable or desirable material, white duck of medium weight has been found very satisfactory, but, of course, other light color materials may be employed with advantage so long as the desired result of indicating the presence of the ofiicer in the dark is obtained.

To increase the prominence and noticeability of the ofli'cer, the present invention provides on both the panels l0 and H suitable light-reflecting units. In the-form of the invention herein illustrated, these light-reflecting units are in the form of buttons 2|, and these are placed in a group relatively close to .each other. The reflector buttons 2| are preferably of the cataphotic type, so that the light impinging upon a button from an approaching vehicle will be reflected back substantially in the line of vision of the operator of the vehicle. A sufficient number of buttons should be employed so that a large area of the garment will be illuminated by the lights from an approaching car.

In the form shown, the reflector buttons 2| are arranged within a circular area in substantially the middle of the panel. If desired and as shown, the grouping of the reflector buttons on tne back panel may be somewhat different from those on the front panel, so long as a sufficient number of reflector units is employed to indicate by a reflected light the presence of the oiflcer.

To increase the visibility of the ofllcer to drivers approaching at an angle from the direction in which the officer faces, the present invention provides, on the shoulder portions of the garment, epaulets 22, and, instead of these extending horizontally as is the custom in formal military uniforms, they hang down from the shoulder portions l3 of the front and. back panels. In fact, the upper margin 23 of the epaulet is so cut with relation to the upper portions of the panels I0 and N that the epaulet forms a partial closure for the upper or shoulder portions of the panels.

The epaulets are preferably formed of the same material as the panels Ill and II, although they may be formed of any suitable light color material flexible enough to permit the epaulet to hang by gravity in a pendant position.

Preferably, the epaulets also carry groups of light-reflecting units 2| of such size and quantity that a substantial amount of light is reflected back toward the driver of a car when the car is approaching from the side of the oflicer.

So that one who knows the distinction may determine whether the officer is facing a lane of traffic or stands at right angles thereto, the reflecting units on the epaulets are preferably arranged to outline a different design than those on the front and back panels.

The epaulets are joined to the front and back panels so high that there is a substantial space, as indicated by the reference numeral 24 in Figs. 1 and 2, for the free movement of the oflicers arms backwardly and forwardly, and the material of the epaulet being flexible, the epaulet may swing upwardly and outwardly with such movements of the oflicers arms.

The light-reflecting buttons 2| may be removably mounted directly on the material of which the garment is made. As shown in Fig. 4, the button 2| extends through a hole 25 in the material 26 and has its movement therein limited by a flange 21. At the'rear end of the button there are projections 28 adapted to be engaged by lugs 29 on a ring 30 which is slipped over the rear end of the button and rotated until the lugs 29 engage the projections 28. The ring 30 is held in this position by the pressure of a sp'ring 3| engaging the inside margin of the aperture through which the button extends.

With the buttons so mounted, when it is desired to launder the garment, it is necessary to remove each button individually, and, besides, they project through the garment and rub against the oflicers uniform.

To avoid this, the present invention provides for the attachment and removal of each group of buttons as a unit. For this purpose, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the reflector buttons for the front and back panels are mounted on separate pieces 32 and 33, and the reflector buttons forthe epaulets are mounted on separate pieces 34 and 35. These pieces themselves are detachably mounted on the garment preferably by separable fasteners 36 of which there may be as many as are required to hold the piece to the garment. The pieces 32, 33, 34 and 35 may be of any suitable material, but, preferably, they are formed of white leather, for the latter may be cleaned without immersing the same in water, and forms a strong body on which the reflector buttons may be mounted. The reflector buttons carried by the pieces 32, 33, 34 and 35 may be permanently mounted thereon, or, if desired, they may be detachably mounted thereon, as by the means shown in Fig. 4.

The reflector buttons 2| may be of any desired color. I have found that red is best, for it .not only is indicative of danger, but contrasts sharply with the white of the garment.

With the use of the garment of the present invention, the traflic oilicer standing at a poorly illuminated intersection is made noticeable and conspicuous by the lights from approaching cars, and thus the danger of his being hit is greatly reduced, and the danger of a person failing to notice his presence and his signals is also reduced to a minimum. Yet, if the ofiicer is required for other duty in which it might be dangerous to proceed while wearing the garment, he may simply and quickly slip the garment over his head and be rid of it. On coming on traflic duty in the dark, the ofiicer may likewise quicklyslip the garment over his head onto his shoulders by simply removing his cap so that his head and neck may pass through the central aperture l4.

The garment of the present invention may be used by officers and others engaged in emergency or otherwork requiring their presence on the road at night. It may also be used with advantage by motorcycle policeinen.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of this invention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

1. A slip-on garment for displaying the presence of a person in traffic in the dark, comprising front and back panels of light-diffusing material covering the front and back portions of the persons clothing, said panels being united in coextension with each other and having an aperture whereby the garment may be slipped over the head of the wearer and be supported on the latter's shoulders; a pendant of light-diffusing material connected to the garment at each shoulder-engaging portion thereof and adapted to hang down over the.upper arms of the wearer providing a substantial surface visible from the side of the latter; light-reflecting means carried by the front and back panels respectively; and additional light-reflecting means carried by the pendants.

2. A slip-on garment for displaying the preswhereby the garment may be slipped over the head'of the wearer and be supported on the latters shoulders; a pendant of light-diffusing material connected to the garment at each shoulderengaging portion thereof and adapted to hang down over the upper arms of the wearer providing a substantial surface visible from the side of the latter; groups of light-reflecting units carried by the" front and back panel respectively; and additional groups of light-reflecting units carried by the pendants.

3. A slip-on garment for displaying the presence of a person in traflic in the dark, comprising front and back panels of light-diffusing material covering the front and back portions of the person's clothing, said panels being united in coextension with each other and having an aperture whereby the garment may be slipped over the head of the wearer and be supported on the latters shoulders; pendant shoulder portions of light-diffusing material connected to the garment at the shoulder-engaging portions thereof and adapted to hang down over the upper arms of the wearer,-said pendant portions providing a substantial surface visible from the side of the wearer; groups of light-reflecting units carried by the front and back panels respectively; and additional groups of light-reflecting units carried by the pendant shoulder portions, each group of light-reflecting units being mounted on a separate piece of light-diffusing material and said' pieces being mounted on the garment for quick removal and replacement.

4. A slip-on garment for displaying the presence of a person in traflic in the dark, comprising front and back panels of light-diffusing material covering the front andback portions of the person's clothing, said panels being united in coextension with each other and having an aperture whereby the garment may be slipped .over the head of the wearer and be supported on the latters shoulders; pendant shoulder portions of light-diffusing material connected to the garment at the shoulder-engaging portions thereof and adapted to hang down over the upper arm of the wearer, said pendant portions providing a substantial surface visible from the side of the wearer; groups of light-reflecting units carried by the front and back panels respectively; and additional groups of light-reflecting units carried by the pendant shoulder portions, said lastnamed groups of light-reflecting units having a different characteristic appearance from the firstnamed group of light-reflecting units.

5. A slip-on garment for displaying the presence of a person in traffic in the dark, comprising front and back panels of light-diffusing material covering the front and back portions of the per- .sons clothing, said panels being united in coextension with each other and having an aperture whereby the garment may be slipped over the head of the wearer and be supported on the latters shoulders; pendant shoulder portions of light-diffusing material connected to the garment at the shoulder-engaging portions thereof, said shoulder pendant portions adapted to engage the outer portions of the wearer's upper arms and provide a substantial surface visible from the side of the latter; groups of light-reflecting units carried by the front and back panels respectively;

extension with each other and having an aperture whereby the garment may be slipped over the head of the wearer and be supported on the latter's shoulders; pendant shoulder portions of light-diffusing material connected to the garment at the shoulder-engaging portions thereof, said pendant portions adapted to engage the outer portions of the wearer's upper arms and provide a substantial surface visible from the side of the wearer; and groups of light-reflecting units carried by the pendant shoulder portions and visible from the side of the wearer.

' 7. A slip-on garment for displaying the presence of a person in traflic in the dark, compris ing front and back panels of light-diffusing material covering the front and back portions of the persons clothing, said panels being united in coextension with each other and having an aperture whereby the garment may be slipped over the head of the wearer and be supported on the latters shoulders; means for holding the ends of the front and back panels together; and pendants of light-diffusing material connected to the garment at the shoulder-engaging portions thereof, said pendants engaging the outer portions of the wearers upper arms and providing a substantial light-diffusing surface visible from the side of the wearer.

CHARLES A. WHEELER. 

